The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 14 Chastity Arch
Gan Minglan recognized the man.

She was a cousin-in-law of the Zuo family's direct lineage and of the same generation as her.

He's only a little older than her.

But I wasn't locked up in cell number seven with them.

She probably had a happy marriage before, which makes her look young and attractive.

She knelt on the ground and pleaded with the middle-aged man:

“Uncle, my son Xia’er is still a minor. After I arrange a marriage for him, I will go to the underworld to be with my husband.”

Standing beside her was a boy of seven or eight years old, pale-faced and somewhat thin.

After hearing their conversation, he obediently knelt down along with his mother.
"Grand Uncle, Xia'er has lost her grandparents and her father. Mother is now my only family. Xia'er will protect Mother!"

"With your little body, how are you going to protect your mother?" The man's tone was disdainful, showing no regard for the little boy.

The little boy named Zuo Chixia clenched his fists, uttering harsh words:

"If Xia'er can't beat them, she'll bite them. Xia'er will fight them to the death."

The middle-aged man remained unmoved and issued a final ultimatum to Madam She:

“If you die here today, you will still be a daughter of the She family! We will send your remains to the Zuo family ancestral grave for burial.”

If you remain obstinate, don't blame me, your uncle, for representing the She clan, for expelling you and your entire maternal family from the clan!

Mrs. She was already crying her eyes out.

These days, exterminating a clan is no small matter.

She didn't want to implicate her parents and her unmarried brothers.

But Zuo Chixia clung tightly to his mother's arm, shaking his head desperately, refusing to let go no matter what.

This scene moved everyone who heard it.

Gan Hong was a man who always stood up for the weak and could not stand seeing women and children being bullied.

He spat fiercely on the ground.

He cursed angrily:
"You old scoundrel, stop trying to use your family's chastity arch as an excuse!"
She hasn't even been insulted by outsiders yet, but she's already being insulted by you, her own family!

Even if we take a step back and assume that the woman is married to a foreign man and has lost her virginity...

Instead of seeking revenge against the villains who bullied her, they forced her to die. What kind of logic is that?
Only a bunch of hypocritical scoundrels like you could utter such shameless words!

Furthermore, if you force widows to commit suicide, what about the deceased Empress Dowager?

Everyone gasped.

Who doesn't know that the late Empress Dowager was the emperor's sister-in-law who remarried the emperor's brother?
The She clan patriarch was so angry at Gan Hongzhen's sharp rebuke that he almost fainted.

You talked for a long time, but couldn't utter a single complete sentence.

The men of the She clan didn't dare to confront the butcher of Shanggan head-on.

With the Empress Dowager's precedent set, no one dared to mention the matter of martyrdom again.

Gan Hongzhen wasn't satisfied with just criticizing people.

Raising his fists, he glared sharply at the guards escorting the prisoners:
"Anyone who dares to humiliate my wife and daughters, I, Gan Hongzhen, will chase him to hell and castrate him!"

His harsh words sent a chill down the spines of all the officers.
The ruthless person had just finished threatening someone a second ago.

The next second, he lowered his head and said gently to his daughter:
"The Classic of Filial Piety says: 'Our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents, and we dare not damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety!' My daughter, remember this: no matter when or what the circumstances, the most important thing is to survive."

"As long as I live, I'll be there for you. Even if I'm gone, you still have your two younger brothers!"

Gan Mingfu nodded vigorously to the side:

"Sister, I'll come to visit you in the border town after I get married at the end of the year!"
Today was really rushed, so I just bought you four water pouches, a hundred meat buns, a few pounds of fruit, a bolt of fine cotton cloth suitable for children, and a few sets of clean clothes for you to change into at the morning market.

Upon hearing this, Gan Hongzhen took out six silver notes, each worth fifty taels, from his pocket:

"Money is still the most practical. Daughter, take these banknotes. Next year, Dad and Afu will send you more money!"

Three hundred taels of silver?

How many pigs would you have to slaughter to make that money!
Without the "Pork Beauty" (a nickname for a beautiful butcher) at the helm, Gan's pork shop's business has declined significantly in recent years.

Gan Hongzhen, however, did not allow her to refuse and quickly stuffed the silver note into her hand.

And said:

"Father has also hired a bodyguard, who will drive our mule cart behind you! He will escort you to the border town and back. You can call him anytime you need him!"

In just half an hour, the father and son had made such a thoughtful arrangement. Tell me, who wouldn't be moved by such family members?
Gan Minglan's eyes felt uncomfortable, as if sand had gotten into them.

Seeing her rubbing her eyes repeatedly, Gan Hongzhen felt a pang of sadness again.

My daughter is truly wonderful.

I haven't shed a tear since I became mentally impaired ten years ago.

Now, all seven emotions and six desires, along with cleverness, are all present!
I am greatly pleased.

On their side, there is paternal love and daughterly affection.

He only regretted that the time he spent saying goodbye to his daughter was too short, and that he had forgotten about his son-in-law.

That side.

After the men from the She family who carried the chastity archway were scolded and left in disgrace, many in-laws from the Zuo family took their place.

There are families who truly love their daughters.

Not only were plenty of food and drink supplies prepared, but they also helped to deal with the officials.

Some people were just putting on a show, bringing several bulging bundles with them.

The unsuspecting woman opened it on the spot.

They then discovered that the contents were just some old clothes, which immediately drew glares from the people next to them.

What's even more annoying is.

The father-in-law of Zuo Wenxuan, the only remaining son of the three main branches of the family, severed ties with his married daughter, Lü, as soon as he arrived!
In just fifteen minutes, everyone witnessed the full spectrum of human nature.

Gan Hongzhen has become the biological father that all the Zuo family wives want most today.

Seeing you off thousands of miles away, there will be a farewell in the end.

The exiled procession has finally officially set off.

on the official road.

The men walked in front, leading the way.

Ten people share one iron chain.

The women were treated slightly better.

His left hand was tied up with a rope, forming a long string.

They had no wooden shackles or iron chains, but they all carried large bundles on their backs and held their children's hands.

The elderly walked in the middle of the procession.

They were not tied up, and they were all empty-handed.

Logically speaking, the elderly should have the most relaxed life.

Unfortunately, half of the elderly group consisted of women with bound feet, who couldn't walk very fast.

However, their daily task is to walk fifty miles!
Even at a snail's pace, it still has to travel this far!
Seventy-four escort officers:

Nine people led the way at the front of the group.

Eighteen people walked on both sides of the procession.

Nine more people were left to cut off the tail.

The officials even paid out of their own pockets to hire four mule carts to carry the luggage, and they took turns resting in two shifts.

The bodyguards hired by Gan's father also followed at a distance in a mule cart.

By this time, the air had become scorching hot.

After walking for two hours, it was noon, and several elderly women could no longer walk.

All wet.

He plopped down on the ground and couldn't get up.

If the people in the middle don't move, the people behind will get stuck.

The officials were used to it.

Their ability to hold on for so long was already somewhat beyond their expectations.

After discussing for a while, the two leaders announced loudly, "Rest for fifteen minutes."

(End of this chapter)